Counterterrorism units storm 3 east Mosul districts

Counterterrorism units entered into the left coast of Mosul in Iraq amid fierce clashes against members of ISIS.

The unit’s forces fighting in the eastern axis of the city managed to liberate the neighborhoods of al-Moharebeen, al-Moalmeen and al-Oalmaa.

According to a statement issued by the commanders of the “We are coming Nineveh” operation, forces fighting ISIS continue liberating the neighborhoods of al-Bakr, al-Zahabiya, al-Khadra, al-Qadisiya al-Oula, al-Tahrir and al-Walaa.

Meanwhile, the army’s ninth division continues to progress south east of Mosul in the neighborhoods of the left coast and continues to liberate the neighborhoods which it stormed in the past few days.It has also seized control of some towns towards the north of Nimrud.

Federal police forces clashed with ISIS members in south west of the city as the latter tried to seize control of areas in the eastern district of al-Shirqat. The battles ended with the death of many ISIS members and the police forces seized control.

Joint forces progressed in the southern axis and reached Mosul’s borders and they will later try and head to Mosul’s airport which is few kilometers away from them.

Mosul casualties overwhelm aid groups
Mounting civilian casualties from fighting in eastern Mosul between Iraqi forces and ISIS are overwhelming the capacity of the government and international aid groups, the United Nations said on Saturday.

Nearly 200 wounded civilians and military personnel were transferred to hospital last week, the highest level since the campaign to push the extremists out of their last major stronghold in Iraq began on Oct. 17, said Lise Grande, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq.

The proportion of civilians among the wounded also appears to be on the rise, reaching 20 percent in the first month of the offensive, according to a Department of Health official, though part of the increase is likely due to improved access to areas newly retaken from ISIS.

“Authorities are doing everything they can to help but there isn’t sufficient trauma capacity at the field level to deal with the numbers of people being wounded by sharp-shooters and snipers and in crossfire. Civilians are being targeted by ISIS,” she told Reuters.

A 100,000-strong alliance of Iraqi forces, with air and ground support from a US-led coalition, have nearly surrounded Mosul but so far only breached the extremists’ defenses from the eastern side, establishing a small foothold inside the city.Militants are dug in among more than a million civilians as a defense tactic to hamper air strikes. They are moving around the city through tunnels, driving suicide car bombs into advancing troops and hitting them with sniper and mortar fire.

The Iraqi authorities do not release comprehensive casualty statistics, but the UN figures probably represent just a fraction of the total as they capture only the most severe cases that cannot be treated on site, and do not include fatalities.

"We are exceptionally stressed that more regular folks will be harmed and defrauded as the crusade escalates," said Grande. "Regular citizens are not being burst in cross-into flames, they are being focused on."